Sustainable Electronics


Vicor power modules help ReVolt provide clean energy to Hollywood film sets


JD Schwalm, founder & CEO of ReVolt Holdings, explains to CIE Magazine how ReVolt’s modular, battery-driven systems provide a low-carbon alternative to traditional generator power on modern film productions


CIE Magazine: Can you describe how film sets are powered today and what ReVolt does that distinguishes itself from legacy approaches? JD Schwalm (JDS): Gasoline and diesel generators have been powering Hollywood movie sets for years and emitting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2


). Cameras, sound


and lighting equipment, special effects rigs and basecamps all rely on generator power. As movie sets have grown in size and complexity, their carbon footprint has grown equally. A large film set emits the same CO2


as the energy needed to power


650 US homes for a year (Time Magazine). ReVolt provide clean, mobile, perpetual, and quiet electricity with the ability to monitor power levels remotely via an app so mobile power stations can be recharged when needed. ReVolt leverages propriety technology and has incorporated small, power dense Vicor power modules to deliver scalable performance and portability to our fleet of power systems.


CIE: How do you quantify how much better your product is for the environment? JDS: ReVolt’s systems eliminate the use


of fossil fuels entirely – reducing CO2 emissions by over 99 per cent compared to equivalent diesel generators. Each WeVolt unit prevents an average of 7.5 metric tons of CO2


Figure 1: ReVolt provides clean, mobile, perpetual, and quiet electricity with the ability to monitor power levels remotely via an app so mobile power stations can be recharged when needed.


per average sized film


or television production and our Mules and CanaVans displace much larger diesel generators. Additionally, ReVolt systems produce zero particulate emissions and operate silently, removing local air and noise pollution that has long plagued film sets and construction sites. Every deployment is tracked via our analytics portal, quantifying real-time energy consumption, fuel displacement, and carbon savings — all verifiable through the app and downloadable ESG reports for studio sustainability teams.


26 July/August 2026


CIE: What is the benefit of Revolt’s product being so much quieter? JDS: Traditional diesel generators run at 85– 95 dB, making dialogue recording and crew communication difficult. Their systems need to be placed away from the set and require long cable runs. ReVolt units operate below 30 dB, quieter than normal conversation. This allows for sound recording without generator interference, enabling production sound mixers to capture cleaner audio and reduce costly ADR sessions in post. The reduced noise also improves set safety and overall working conditions, while allowing night shoots in residential areas without disturbing communities — an important factor for city filming permits and sustainability compliance. Technically, ReVolt leverages propriety power systems to achieve new levels of performance and deliver a groundbreaking new way of powering remote, high power applications.


Components in Electronics


CIE: What topologies and control strategies do you employ to allow simultaneous charge and discharge while supplying highly variable loads? JDS: Our BMS [battery management system] monitors cell parameters. A group of parallel- connected, grid-forming inverters powered by a large DC battery pack provides stabilized, utility-grade 3-phase output power to the loads. Another group of parallel-connected inverters, powered by a separate battery pack with the same control features, shares the load and pushes additional energy into the battery pack.


Each inverter monitors DC bus voltage and current, as well as 3-phase AC load characteristics such as voltage, current, phase angle, and power factor. A separate modular power meter measures output voltage, current, and phase angle for each leg, as well as neutral current. A custom-designed EMS


controls and monitors each component via CAN bus, Modbus, and Ethernet.


CIE: What filtering, regulation, or buffering techniques ensure a stable sine wave output under such dynamic conditions? JDS: We use 3-phase filter modules to protect against loads that generate harmonics. The system detects unbalanced 3-phase line connections, high neutral current, and power factor issues, alerting operators in advance when parameters approach limits. Our EMS uses closed-loop voltage control, directing the inverters to adjust voltage based on load. This ensures no dips or spikes, managed through a fast PID control algorithm.


CIE: Size and weight are important to your design. What advantages do Vicor DC-DC modular converters offer over competitive solutions?


www.cieonline.co.uk


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